[Anchor]
I'm sure many of you have received voice phishing bait texts pretending to guide card issuance or illegal advertising messages such as illegal gambling or prostitution.
Police have caught companies that sent such illegal texts in large quantities at the request of criminal organizations.
The number of texts they sent amounted to 2.8 billion, which is the level that the entire nation has received 50 times.
Reporter Yoon Woong-sung reports.
[Reporter]
This is a text message on a mobile phone that guides you to open an account, issue a card, and overdue taxes.
It also invites you to a wedding or encourages you to connect to gambling sites.
Phishing texts that distribute malicious programs on mobile phones, bait texts that lead to voice phishing, or illegal advertising messages.
Police have caught six texting companies that sent such illegal texts on a large scale.
They are accused of sending 2.8 billion illegal text messages at the request of criminal organizations such as voice phishing organizations for 10 years from 2015 to the latest.
Given that the number of mobile phone subscribers was 56.92 million as of August, the police explained that the entire nation has received more than 50 illegal texts.
It is also believed that they earned 48.5 billion won by receiving 14 to 20 won per text message.
It has been confirmed that the companies caught have avoided domestic regulations and crackdowns by using overseas servers and telecommunications companies without registering with the Ministry of Science and ICT.
[Sim Moo-song / Head of phishing crime investigation at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency: They were suspects who played a very key role in sending bait texts used in voice phishing. By arresting the criminals, we are seeing a significant decrease in the use of bait text in actual voice phishing crimes....]
The police arrested three representatives of text messaging companies, including Kim, and booked 17 accomplices, including developers, without detention and handed them over to the prosecution.
It also plans to freeze about 5 billion won in criminal proceeds.
After arresting them, the number of voice phishing crimes through text messages has decreased significantly, but the number of direct calls is increasing, police said, urging special attention.
I'm YTN Yoon Woong Sung.
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